Means of removing scale matter from liquids



1931- s. s. NEELEY 1,83 ;075

MEANS OF REMOVING 'SCALE MATTER FROM LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1931. e. s. NEELEY MEANS OF REMOVING SCALE MATTER FROM LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r A M W MW, WWW at e M H. i a m W i 0 E g 4 F :K Y W W tainer. By

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE- WATKINS, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS we or movme scam MATTER mm mm Application filed October so, me. Serial No. 142,959.

This invention relates we novel method and means of removing scale matter from liquids and has for its objects the provision of an apparatus for treating the liquid exteriorly of the container into which said liquid, is bem dischar In nited tates Letters Patent No. 1,57 9,454, granted to me A ril 6, 1926, I d1sclose the fact that scale or fur de osits are formed or built up by the electro-p at] action of the electric current which is um Irectional and is generated by the great difierences of temperature that are naturally produced in the operation of steam boilers.

The objects of my resent invention are to take advantage of t is fact of the formation of scale by the use of a counter-electroplating process set up in a closed vessel exterior to the boiler or container so as to induce the scale matter to be deposited or electrolated on suitable metallic screens arranged in said vessel, thereby preventing said scale matter from entering the boiler or other conthis method I am enabled to apply a muc more powerful direct current to the entire feed water supply at a point located away from the boiler, thereby reaching the whole of the chemical constituents of the feed water supply so as to successfully arrest the formation of scale in the boiler by a process of electro-plating set up in a separate container or vessel through which the water is compelled to pass before being admitted to the boiler. Thus the scale matter is removed electrolytically from the feed water supply and deposited on metallic screens which are removable, thereby leaving the feed water free of all chemical matter which is subject to electrolytic influence. The screens may be removed for cleaning purposes so as to remove the scale deposits therefrom or they may be replaced by new screens.

Another object of my novel method is to remove or separate all the chemical contents of the feed water supply which are influenced V by electro-chemical action and to efi'ect such -.separation without the necessity of shutting down the boiler unitfor washmg or cleaning, thereby obviating the loss of time incidental to such shutting down of the boiler.

In practice, I prefer to use one or a plurality of electrically charged or excited metallic screens, the number of screens used depend-.

ing upon the operating circumstances as to whether or not'one or morescreens are necessary to successfully collect the entire amount of scale matter from the feed water supply of the boiler. Such a method is advantageous to the user in that the cost of the apparatus is proportional to the amount of scale to be removed from the particular feed water supply as is found in his individual case. Such an arrangement is particularly desirabledue to the fact that great variations in the chemical constituents of the .various feed water supplies exist through the different States and countries. The,me-

tallic screens or collectors are supported in that this material is also a good non-conductor of electricity as well as an excellent filtering medium. Thus a positive means is provided for filtering out all solids from the feed water supply, rendering the latter free from the scale matter by electrolytic treatment and free of all solid matter by filtration, both the electro-plating and the filtration being done by the same apparatus before the feed water supply is admitted into the boiler.

Further objects of my invention are to provide means for electrolytically. treating the feed water supply by means of a direct electric current independently of the boiler and without effecting or interfering with the electrical protective circuits of the latter.

Still further objects of. the invention are to provide an apparatus for treating the feed water supply electrolyticall exteriorly of the boiler and simultaneous y with the rise in temperature and pressure of said feed water su ply.

Additional objects of my invention are to provide a method of purifying water by subjecting it to electrolytic treatment to produce coagulation of solids contained in said water and to separate. such matter by filtration or settling.

With these and other objectsin view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of arts, hereinafter more fully described and c aimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a boiler and its feed water sup ly and showing my im roved apparatus app ied thereto.

Figure 2 1s a similar view and showing the boiler equipped with electrical connections for protecting the latter against electrical corrosion, and pitting.

Figure 3 is a die ammatic view of .l modified method wherein the liquid is subjected to electrolytic treatment to produce coagulation of the impurities contained therein and then separating the coagulated matter from the li uid by settling.

igure 4 shows still another modified form of my invention.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically my improved method, 10 indicates a water container, in the present instance, a boiler, having a feed water pipe 11 leading thereinto. The feed water is enerally heated before being admitted into t e boiler and in the drawings a heater 12 is shown interposed in the pipe connection 11 and having an inlet pipe connection 14. An outlet pipe connection 15 leads from said heater to a pump 16. The latter is used to force the feed water under a definite pressure into the boiler.

A pipe connection 17 leads from the pump into one end of the closed vessel 18, the opposite end being connected to pipe 11. Vessel 18 is provided with a series of metallic screens 19 and 20 which are horizontally disposed therein in superimposed relation with each other and adapted to be traversed by the water passing through said vessel. Screens 19 are connected together by a connection 21 and the latter is connected by a Wire 22 to the positive pole of a direct current generator or other suitable source of supply 24. Similarly screens or plates 20 are connected to ether by a connection 25 which is connecte by a wire 26 to the negative pole of said source of direct current supply. Entrance plugs 27 are preferably provided in the walls of container 18, said plugs being insulated from said walls and establishing electrical connections between connections 21 and 25 and wires 22 and 26 respectively.

The direct current used in chargin the screens is of a volume and intensity su cient to cause the scale matter contained in the water tobe lated onsaid screens in a manner similar to t e electro-plating of metals. As the water in passing through the container is caused to traverse the screens, the scale matter contained in the water is brought in close contact'with said metallic screens andis caused by the oppositely charged screens to be electro-de osited on said screens, and thus'separated from the water which continues in its travel to the boiler. The screens are of com arativel fine mesh so that the water is fine y divid in passing through the screens and a comparativel lar e amount of metallic electrically charge sur ace is offered to the water.

- In order to insure proper distribution of the water throughout the whole area of the metallic screens and assist in the separation of the scale matter from the water, vessel 18 is filled withsuitable filtering material 28 which surrounds all of the screens and helps to keep the latter in proper spaced insulated relation with the adjoinin screens. This filtering material is prefera ly in the form of sandor fine gravel which. is a non-conductor of electricit and provides excellent filtering medium or filtering out solids from the water and at the same time allows passage of water therethrough.

In the form shown in Figure 2. boiler 10 is equipped with protective electrical connections 29 which are connectedto a suitable source of alternating current for electrically charging the feed water as it is being discharged into said boiler. The feed water pipe 11' terminates in a T-connection 30 leading from which are short pi e sections 21 which terminate in o n-ende enlarged tubular members 32. electrical distributor 34 is arranged in each member 32 and is insulated therefrom and electrically connected with connections 29. The feed water is. discharged into the boiler through members 32 and upon coming in contact with distributors 34 completes the circuit therebetween and is electrically charged with an alternating current which counteracts the thermo-electrio current generated b the operating conditions of the boiler. e manner in which this thermo-electric current is generated in the boiler and its effect thereon is more fully set forth in m copending applications Serial No. 70,544, led November 21, 1925, and Serial No. 103,079, filed April 19, 1926. The alternating current applied to the boiler through connections 29 may be supplied from the main lines 35 and regulated to proper volume and intensity by a transformer T.

In order to provide efiicient means for indicating the extent of the deposit of scale matter on the screens, a pressure gau 36 is placed in each end of t e vessel 18. he difference in pressure in the respective indicates the resistance ofi'ered to the passa e of water through said vessel and as said screens become covered with scale deposits, this resistance increases, thereby causing a greater differential in the pressure of the respective gauges.

' In Figure '3 is shown a modified 'form of my invention wherein the water is treated electrolytically in the vessel 18 by an electric cur- 7 rent and the water is then conveyed b a pipe connection 37 to a settling tank 38 w ere the coagulated matter is allowed to settle and the clear water is discharged from said tank by a pipe connection 39. This settling tank may be used in connection with the filtering medium or without it and the electric current may beeither direct current, thereby using the settling tank to precipitate such matter as is not electro-deposited on the screens, or alternating electric current" may be used and the coagulated matter not filtered out may be separated from the water 1n said settlin tank.

In t e form illustrated in. Figure '4, the water is first treated electrolytically by a distributor 40 arranged in the section41, which latter is interposed in a pipe connection 42. Thewater is then passed through an electro-magnetic field produced in a pipe section 43 by an electric coil 44. Sect on 43 which is arranged in ipe connection 42 adjacent to section 41 is preferably made of non-magnetic material so as to induce the magnetic field to pass through the water and thereby act on the matter contained therein.

From section 43 the water is discharged into a filter or separator 45 wherein the treated matter is separated fromvthe water and the latter is then conveyed by ap'ipe 46 to a tank or boiler or other suitab e container. A bypass connection 47 is provided and a series of valves 48 is arranged so that by opening and closing the appropriate valves the separator 45 may be cut out when so desired without interfering with the supply of water to the boiler.

As the water isum (1 into boiler 10 or tank 45 it is placed un er pressure and this pressure has to be greater than the pressure prevailing in the container in order to force the water thereinto. In the operation of boilers the feed water is heated by being forced into the boiler. Thus the treatment of feed water is done while the water is placed under conditions of temperature and premure.

The treatment of water eizteriorly of the I boiler or tank into which said water is discharged permits the removal of the. scale matter before the water is released into said boiler or container. This permits the connecting or re lacing of the scale removing apparatus wit out interfering with the operation of the boiler. When the protective electric circuits are used to prevent pitting of the end of said container into said boiler, a plu-' rality of metallic screens arranged in said containr, said screens being spaced from each other and from said container, a filtering granular material completely filling said container and interposed between said screens for holding them in spaced relation, an electric connection for connecting one set of alternate screens 'to a positive pole of a source I of direct electric current, an electric connection connecting the other set of screens to a negative pole of said source of direct current -whereby the chemicalsalts contained in the water are electrically charged and caused to be electroplated on said screens, and means connected to the inlet end of said container and to said boiler for maintaining the water circulating through said container under increased temperature and pressure.

2. In an apparatus for'extracting chemical salts from boiler feed water, the combination with a steam boiler, of aclosed container, a pipe connection leadin from the outlet end of said container to sai boiler, a plurality of metallic screens arranged transversely and removably within said container, said screens being spaced from each other andfrom said container, a filtering granular material completely filling said container and surroundmg said screens for holding the latter in spaced relation, a pair of electric connectors secured to the wallof said container in spaced relation therewithand with each other and adapted to be connected respectively to the positive and negative poleo a source of direct electric current said connectors extend ing into said conta1ner,-an electric connection connecting one connector with one set of alternate screens, a connection connecting the other connector with the other set of said screens whereby the adjacent screens are electrically char d. with opposed electrical charges, there y causing chemical salts contamed in the water to be electrically charged and electroplated on said screens, and means for forcing boiler feed water under increased temperature and pressure from said boiler into said container.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 11th day of ()ctober 1926. I enonen s. NEELEY. 

